The AntiStereotype Story
by Neko-sama no Kokoro
Summary: There are many stereotypes in the world of Inuyasha fanfiction. These one-shots are a collection of my responses and rebuttals to some of these stereotypes.
1. Kagome and Sesshoumaru

The Anti-Stereotype Story

Disclaimer: I don't own the Inuyasha characters, though I own my dreams of becoming as good an artist as Takahashi-sama…

Chapter 1: Sesshoumaru and Kagome

The fire had been reduced to simple embers by the time he arrived.

With one careful glance at the clearing, he noticed six sleeping figures – five on the ground, and one in a tree. Three were dismissed immediately as harmless; while they were dangerous in battle, he had not come to discuss matters with them. In fact, they were not necessary for what he came for. He then dismissed the smaller figure curled up next to a larger one – while he was relatively important to those whom he had business with, this figure did not have to be awake, or even nearby.

The other two… They were what he had come for. One in particular.

Taking slow, careful steps around the sleeping figures, he moved close to the two shadowed figures. His long fingers wrapped around the smaller figure, placing him in the shadow of one of the others. A soft snore nearly startled him – if he could be startled, of course. He merely waited for another moment before walking towards the still-sleeping figure, now alone.

The second one could wait. He would be the topic of the latter discussion, as this was likely to be… loud and violent.

With one step, he was at the miko's side.

A sharp claw extended to her neck and he tapped her pulse softly – not hard enough to draw blood or the hanyou would surely be awakened. He could not afford this, not yet. When she gasped, he turned her face over, as her blue-grey orbs awakened to his face.

She gasped. She didn't scream, thankfully, or he would have had a lot to explain.

"W-why are you here?" she whispered.

"Come, miko. I have much to discuss with you."

She nodded slowly, though he could see her eyes wandering to the boy in the tree. No doubt she was hoping he would wake and watch her during their discussion, though if she cried out… It was safe to say she knew the consequences.

Standing, she followed the taller figure into the shadows of the forest.

Once well away from the campsite, she felt it was safer to raise her voice. While no pathetic human would hear, the thought that the hanyou or neko might possibly hear her – the kitsune was too deep in his dreams. As soon as the thought crossed his mind it was gone, and he was free to listen to her angry voice.

"What do you want with me?" she hissed. "To drag me away from my sleep and… and companions in the middle of the night – have you no care? What is so important?"

He raised an eyebrow at her impatience.

"Miko, you shall not talk to this Sesshoumaru this way."

She blinked. He raised his claws in response and, blinking, she understood. Stepping back, her eyes downcast, she whispered,

"Are you here to kill me, then?"

He shook his head. "Foolish miko, I came to discuss things with you. My half-brother, for one. What… What are your feelings towards him?"

A sharp intake of breath was the only indication that she had heard him. He stepped closer, placing one hand under her chin and forcing her to look at him. She was scared; he could smell it. Scared of him, or of his question?

"Answer, miko."

"I… I… Why should I tell you, anyway?"

With that, she placed one hand on his and tried to pry his fingers away from her face. He chuckled at her fruitless attempts. A foolish human wench thinking she was stronger than this Sesshoumaru, a taiyoukai of the Western Lands, and a son of Inutaisho? Even his brother was stronger than her – what made this girl different?"

"I can kill you if I wish, miko. Answer."

"Do you wish to?" Her voice was soft.

There was a silence. Did he want to kill her? He found her annoying, true, but he found that he did not wish to end her pathetic human life any more than the life of his hanyou half-brother. Despite the fights they had, he only wished to gain the Tessaiga. It would be shame to kill one of your own blood simply out of dislike.

"No more than I wish to kill my half-brother. Answer, miko." His claws dug deeper into her skin and she winced at the pain.

"If it pleases you to know, I… I love him."

He nodded and withdrew his hand. She pushed away from him, stumbling backwards into a nearby tree. Trembling fingers reached to her throat, touching the gouges his claws had made. Each brush made her flinch, and finally those blue eyes turned to him.

"Why do you wish to know?"

He shrugged. "To know what you are to my half-brother, miko. You would be a good mate for him."

The ground became an interest to her. "If he did not love another," she whispered slowly.

"Foolish human. Do not mistake loyalty for love."

She turned back to him, her voice rising to a higher pitch. "But he does love her, you know! He protects me, to be sure, he cares for me, but I cannot replace her in his heart!"

With another shrug, he turned away. "This Sesshoumaru has no time for lies, miko. Return to your camp."

Even in the dark, he could see her pout. She turned back to the faint glow, visible to her through the trees. Glancing over her shoulder, she said quietly, possibly to herself, even,

"If you dislike me so much, why did you spare my life?"

A smile tugged at his cold lips. "I may dislike you, miko, and my hanyou brother as well, but he is blood and you are his intended mate. This Sesshoumaru will not shed the blood of my family, who at least deserves to be treated with respect by those who have manners."

A soft laugh escaped her. "I assume you believe Inuyasha is one of those who does not have manners?"

"Indeed. Return, miko, before my brother awakens."

She nodded and disappeared into the trees, her final words echoing in the silent forest.

"I don't like you either, you know. At least… at least I know you won't kill him now. Thank you, for that."

He made a sound of disbelief. "She should not be thanking this Sesshoumaru for an expression of honour. Though… how she could love my foolish brother is something beyond my comprehension.

"Yet… love is not something to be understood, once you feel it yourself. Those two are meant to be together."

With that, he turned back into the dark forest. Kagura was waiting with Rin, back at his home, and he cared not to keep her waiting.

Owari

A/N: I know the situation with Kagura and the Wind scroll, all right? I just needed to end with this kind of feeling, and Rin is a bit young for that… So Kagura it is.

Oh, and it's not a Sess/Kag! It features them, but the point is to dispute Sess/Kag pairings and show how they just don't work out. At least, this is my opinion.

Hope you like, and another installment of the Anti-Stereotype One-Shots should be coming soon!


	2. Kikyou

The Anti-Stereotype Story

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but I own a pair of ears remarkably like his, except they're brown and catlike… And my delusions are mine, too.

Chapter 2: Kikyou

A calm silence reigned in the open forest area where two figures stood impassively.

The amber eyes of the taller figure held distrust and apprehension, yet caring and loyalty was clear to any who could look within their depths. The other figure could see this clearly, yet little emotion flickered in her grey orbs. She had long ago learned to hide her feelings – unlike the other, who, even after all these years still was more open with his emotions than he liked to believe.

He had changed, she could see. The girl who freed him from the spell she had placed on him had done more than awaken him – though she did do that, in more ways than either of them could see. Why were they both unwilling to face what was clear to any observer? Was love honestly that distrusting and worrying?

Yes, it was, she realized. Their love had been so, even after it had become clear to both of them.

So, then, was it really love?

She had had years of being dead, then walking the earth in a clay body with a fragment of a soul and hate to keep her alive. To not have time to think and reflect would be impossible.

Therefore, she had come to the conclusion that no, it was not love.

It never had been. It never would be. Not that she wished it to be – he seemed happier with Kagome anyways. She did not want to take away his happiness for selfish purposes; despite not loving him in the way she had once believed, she still _cared_ for him. It was the love of a friend.

And the foolish girl believed she was a rival for his affections…!

Indeed, she too had made mistakes in the beginning. She had refused to let go of the hate she had felt for the hanyou, or the lingering affection that she believed to be romantic attraction. In doing so, she had caused pain to more than one person.

She wanted to fix that. That was why she was here, in a warm body once more. This was to fix her mistakes.

…Not that she wanted to die, or anything, but she no longer desired Inuyasha.

In a soft voice, her gaze fixed on the silver-haired boy a few steps away from her, she asked,

"Do you love her, Inuyasha? Do you love her with all your heart?"

He looked down at the grass. She wondered if he felt guilty about having to admit such a thing to her; she was, after all, his former love (or what he had thought was love, that is). Did he not realize that any romantic feelings between them were gone?

"I…"

He shook his head, unwilling to continue.

"Inuyasha, you know I do not love you."

She had expected him to nod, or agree. Instead, he gasped and looked up sharply. Shaking his head, he stepped towards her, one hand outstretched.

"Kikyou… What are you saying?"

Brushing his hand away, she glanced to the side. She hoped not to see pain or betrayal in his eyes, though she feared that if she looked it would be visible. So, her grey gaze fixed on a nearby tree, she spoke.

"There was no real love between us, Inuyasha. What there was is no more. You care deeply for Kagome – you love her, do you not? I wish to see you happy with her; it is my duty as your friend."

"Friends, Kikyou? I… You… I don't understand!"

She sighed and shook her head. Only Inuyasha would be such a fool around this topic. "Inuyasha, we did not love each other in the way that we should have. I don't want you to lose your chance with Kagome! Already there are things breaking you apart, and one of them is me. I don't want to be an obstacle to something that I wish to see happen!"

He blinked, slightly confused still. "You mean… You want me and Kagome to be together? But what about-"

"Foolish mistakes of an immature mind, Inuyasha. What I believed then was false. I want to atone for my mistakes, those I made while… dead."

He nodded and stepped back, glancing towards the dim light of the fire and his companions. "You're different now."

"I am, Inuyasha. Now, go to her. For Kagome to gain the wrong impression of this conversation would be a mistake that I shall not allow."

With a hint of a smile, his eyes showed his agreement. As he disappeared into the trees, Kikyou watched with a smile on her own face.

"That would be one more mistake I would have to correct during the rest of the time I have left on this earth."

And with that, she walked away to the next village, hoping to cool the raging hatred of those who had been subject to her earlier mistakes – because no one wishes to die with enemies alive, and no one wishes to be hated for who you are.

Owari

A/N: I am an anti-Kikyou Basher. I admit that once, I disliked her. I then saw episode 108 of the anime. Perhaps it was her views and trust towards Suikotsu, or perhaps just the way that she behaved without any dark motives towards Naraku or Inuyasha or anyone else… My dislike just went out the window. I still think she should end whatever romantic ties she and Inuyasha have (unless I'm just behind in watching…), but that doesn't mean I hate her.

I do, however, hate people who portray Kikyou as a bitchy slut. It's about as OOC as an overly-emotional Inuyasha, a prudish Miroku, or a sarcastic Kagome (which is me). She is neither, and I find it to be extremely unjustified prejudice. I have no problem with people disliking Kikyou. I do have a problem with people who proceed to turn their dislike into Kikyou-bashing.

Bashing Is Bad. End of authour rant.

Ah, and I wrote this a day or so after the Sess/Kag one, but posted them on the same day. I don't have _that_ much time on my hands (though I have the inspiration)!


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